As I really did enjoy this book, I was even more impressed that a travel novel, written by an approachable individual with accessible language, finally presented many of the difficult topics that have been debated within the academic and practical spaces of tourism for decades. One of the first papers I wrote for an basic introduction to travel class concerned the sex trade and the use of young girls in countries as captured sex slaves for the purposes of pleasing middle and upper class Canadian, American and European travelers in order to draw and increase tourism. I believe my professor handed me back my paper and said, 'interesting topic'. That was it. I think he was surprised about the topic and the criticisms that were evident in the paper. I wish I still had it, I would give it another read, redo and update as sixteen years later, these countries continue to enslave young girls, boys, women and sometimes men as sex slaves but now have begun to reward them and provide them with an understanding that they are contributing greatly to their country's economy in the best way they possibly could (even scarier really). Well, in my opinion this is crap and the institutionalization of the poor and down-trodded through ideologies of slavery, misogyny and seeing women/people as sex objects, but I digress...again...
Rick Steves within the last chapter of his book Travel As A Political Act shares with following idea with the reader then proceeds to share a list of books he has read that has influence his opinions about the economics of poverty and the politics of power and corporations. I am sure he would be OK with me sharing this quote and list (even though I don't know him at all personally) and I have added to each book title a link to the book, a related website, or the authors webpage. Voila!:
"Read books that explain the economic and political basis of issues you've stubbled onto in your travels. A basic understanding of the economics of poverty, the politics of the empire, and the power of corporations are life skills that give you a foundation to better understand what you experience in your travels. Information that mainstream media considers "subversive" won't come to you. You need to reach out for it. The following are a few of the books that have shaped and inspired my thinking over the years" (p. 203):
In my family we do not celebrate Mother's Day, we celebrate Wyona's Day. As my mother, Wyona has always said that we should not revere, praise, adore, and enjoy our mother's only one day a year but every day of the year. With this instilled in us as teenagers, we continue to celebrate our altered version of this yearly holiday as a family.
This year my mother was on a cruise in some remote sea or ocean and unreachable. Family members did send emails with funny stories, witty responses, best memories, and the like. Wyona thanked us and we each took time to think about the amazing woman that raised seven children while moving all over the world, country to country. She has survived by pure will as we are all different, unique and challenging (yet so entertaining) as children and now as adults.
As an homage to Wyona I rented a movie last week that reminded me of her. You see, she is addicted to old time movies. 1940's musicals, dance films of the 1950's, and black and white, silver screen movies of the early 1900's. When she has time, is sewing or completing small jobs we all have to do to keep life going, she is watching Turner Classic Movies (TCM). When I am in town I plop on the couch, chat, watch, listen, chat more, watch again. These movies always have and always will remind me of my amazing mother.
The other day at the library I realized I can rent videos for $1.20 so I grabbed a few. When I saw, The Barkleys of Broadway (1949), I missed my mum and had to watch it. From the film education I received from her, I know there are few musical and dance combinations in the world of film like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It was the perfect choice.
The dance scene of the two of them, he in a tux, she is a flowing white dress, I watched three times. The plot presents them as a somewhat agreeable married couple known for there stage talent, have split up because Ginger's character wants to try dramatic stage acting rather than the comedy they have repeatedly performed. They split up as a couple and he woes her back with this Gershwin song and dance number (with a little help from the friend that introduces the scene.) Such talent, poise, feet movement and ability. I am grateful to have a mother that has taught me many things, one of which is an appreciation of older entertainment that remains relevant and enjoyable to watch.
I suggest you watch it once and keep your eyes on Fred Astaire, then watch it again and keep your eyes on Ginger Rogers. He is so smooth, and she appears as delicate as a flower and knows when to grab her skirt and give it a flip to get it moving. Love this musical! Love these types of movies!
Enjoy the wee scene snippet from the movie!
Love your mum!
Enjoy her every day!
While I was walking last spring on the south side of Winnipeg, I came upon a beautiful neighbourhood in St. Vital with its own forest, the Seine River Greenway Forest. It was a delightful day with leaves all over the path, children actually playing in the forest, small groups of people enjoying a walk. I happened upon another woman walking by herself and we began a conversation. She asked me if I had seen the spirit trees of the forest as of yet, to which I replied no. She walk me deeper into the woods and there it was, the Bois-des-Esprits.
Stunning multiple faces and animals. Carved on both sides.
The same tree. The other side.
This woman and I talked for a while as she gave me more advice of a few different places to visit in the city. We parted ways and I continued walking out of the forest I spied several more faces that I had completely walked by, not realizing they had been staring at me and others along the path. The faces were stunning, carved right into the trees, rough slices, with long whisky beards.
Old tree Old face
This was the last tree as I left the forest. I took one picture, stared at the tree for a while, then realized that this was not simply a face.
Old tree Old face With a bit of extra
A view from below so I could capture the face's friend.
Sadly, someone committed an act of vandalism this past June and lit the largest of the trees on fire. One wonders what pushes someone to light something so stunning on fire. Sign of discontent. This tree provided me with much content. I hope people continue to enjoy it despite a part of it now being charred. I shall continue to walk, talk with random strangers, and enjoy the outdoors. I am thinking the Winnipeg Trails Association will help. Love walking!
As a former educator, as a niece with a bully for an uncle, an employee who worked with an underhanded bully, and as a family member whose sibling was bullied, we are all affected by the issues of bullying. In particular in the USA in 2010 there has been wide spread acknowledgement that openly gay and bisexual teens are not only bullied more but have fewer resources and people from whom to ask for help, and often turn to suicide. Spread the word that the choices we all make on a minute by minute basis can contribute to an environment of love, acceptance and peace.
One of the best American authors, Barbara Coloroso, and public speakers who takes the issues and explains who participates: the bully, the bullied, and the bystander.
Your boyfriend George has a clip of the movie and is asking people to join the conversation online. Perhaps it should be called the Anti-Bully Project but either way add your voice, do what you can to embrace and enjoy people, to see who they really are, then enjoy those people.
Teach your children what bullying looks like, the physical, the verbal, the social, the emotional. Teach them how not to bully, then teach them how to stand up to bullies. As for you as an adult, either at work or elsewhere, don't let anyone bully you either.
Here is a great commercial for all the redheads out there:
Recently several ballet movies have entered the options of movies to see, here is another. A deeply moving story of a man, Li Cunxin (played as an adult by Chi Chao), who was plucked out of his life by his government, trained in a profession not of his choosing, given the opportunity to travel, where his talent is refined and he discovers the backbone of courage he did not know he possessed. Arresting music, bewitching dancing, engaging characters, exemplary dichotomy of worlds, superb.
I have never had a psychotic episode in which I have blended reality and my own inner mind's workings into one large experience, all of which I believe is authentic. After having seen Black Swan, I have a closer understanding of what a psychotic episode might look like.
For many years I worked hard practicing, completing drills, working as a team and sweating meeting the goal of being the best basketball player. I reached that goal many years ago but once I reached it I was not consumed with fears of paranoia and obsessed with perfection, all involving an over-protective parent. After watching Black Swan I can see how the thine line of reaching a goal may turn on me.
Most of my life I feel like I have been pretty uptight, overly moral and whitely pure. Now that I have watched Black Swan I more fully understand what it could look like if I began letting out my dark side (minus the wings and feathers).
Mmmmm......a wonderfully intricate movie, not easy to watch, but very intensely introspective as one must always be aware, that what one is experiencing is as close to the collective reality as possible.
Recently on the website 'big think', Bob Dugganreviewed the movie '!Women Art Revolution'. He tells the reader about one women's documentary journey, Lynn Hershman Leeson, filming 42 years of women fighting the battle of being under-represented in the art world. The film is being premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this January, a festival in my list of 'must do's before six feet under'. In hopes that the film comes by the way of a film festival or other event to Winnipeg, I hope to see it in the next year.
My love of the visual arts was instilled in my soul as a young child living in Brussels, with parents who ensured their children received a first hand education in art as we toured European art galleries. I have fond memories of asking my mother about certain paintings, and feeling a whisper on and in my ear of the symbolism of a particular piece of art, the reasons for it being painted a certain way, and even why there were so many nude and semi-nude people in European art. All queries of a young mind.
As an young adult I moved to Canadian cities where the art world was small and lost contact with my childhood memories and connection with the visual beauty of another person's creativity. Visits to Ottawa and Montreal and their respective museums rekindled my love of art. During my first brief trip to New York City, I walked through the MoMa, MET and other galleries to build on my knowledge of art which had deepened to an appreciation of not only Medieval, Renaissance, and other European art, but also a further respect towards Surrealism, Abstract art, Pop art and now Contemporary art. While in the NYC galleries I had a sense that I was missing something, though I could not ascertain what what it was. After three days of meandering through various forms of art I realized I was missing my mother's voice in my ear, providing me with information and answering my queries. I was now an adult and had to provide the answers to my questions through my own research and thoughts. The adjustment to the missing voice was not easy.
Building on my childhood knowledge and developing my own art voice, I was intrigued when I say a group of women in the NYC streets with make-shift small stands, in odd costumes, asking people to complete their art survey. Being willing to participate in other people's work it slowly dawned on me that this was not an academic survey, but a rouse of different stations, each one enlightening the participant to the lack of women artists represented in museums and art galleries in New York. As it turned out, these interesting, vibrant and intelligent women were part of the Guerrilla Girls movement showing us at the end of the survey, that there are large numbers of female artists but their work is presented in on a fraction of major art galleries and museums in New York City. I had no idea.
This group along with many other individual artists are featured in Leeson's movie, which is one documentary not to be missed.
(Copied from http://www.guerrillagirls.com/posters/getnakedshanghai.shtml)
Teague and Cheri (my brother and sister-in-law) have been making films with their kids for about 10 years now. They have been posting them on YouTube for the last few years and I thought I would share them with you.
Here is the most recent one created on the Larch Haven property. This is a mock-u-filmary of Blues Clues, Sherlock Holmes and Twilight. Due to the business of the school year, at this time only part one is complete and posted in YouTube. Here is a link so you can enjoy the creativity, stellar costumers and award winning acting:
A movie
create through the support of the NFB written and
created by Brett Gaylor, Rip! A Remix Manifesto is an dissection and questioning of the development of copyright laws over the course
of the past 20 years. Boring you may think. I have not yet mentioned the rave music,
sweaty bodies, questions to the money makers, analysis of choices, clips of the
famous, effects on many industries, and the exceptionally
cute acting by a young Brazilian girl as the finale.
So much more than a simple documentary.
This is the most interesting or important information that my stream of consciousness tapped into while I watched. You may have heard and responded to different ideas. Feel free to share your thoughts with me.
Brett Gaylor and those who want to protect the public domain have created a manifesto:
A Remixer’s
Manifesto:
1. Culture always builds on the past.
2. The past always tries to control the future.
3. Our future is becoming less free.
4. To build free societies you must limit the control of the
past.
“Whoever
wins gets to decide if the ideas will be determined by the public domain or
private corporations, in science, industry, medicine, our entire culture.”
My face could not stop smiling during this
film. Focus films masterpiece titled Pirate Radio hits the audience with one piece of hilarity after another. Inspired by true event during the
1960’s in Britain, a large ‘pirate’ ship off the coast of the United Kingdom
plays the heathen ‘Rock & Roll’ all day and night with an outrageous cast
of DJ’s and a very angry British government.
The boat population includes a young man who has been kicked out of
school and sent to the ship by his mother to learn life’s lessons; a lusty late
night DJ who rarely talks and oozes sexual heat; several hilarious DJ losers
who create a small band of odd-balls, intellectuals and chaste individuals; a
long lost god of radio who returns to the rock ‘n roll ship, his heart’s
purpose; a lesbian cook only allowed on the ship due to her sexual preference;
a brash American example of musical commitment; and a ragged older leader whose
lanky body provides some side-splitting dancing. With DJ names such as Doctor Dave, the Count,
Spike Seattle, Simple Simon, Bob the Dawn Treader, Motor Mouth of Midnight Rock,
their individual personality gaffes create one audience guffaw after another.
Then there is the movie’s soundtrack!!! The Kinks, The Who, Smokey Robinson, The
Beach Boys, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Cat Stevens, David Bowie and more. A mix of songs that reminds the audience why
the 1960’s exploded with electric guitars, screaming voices, songs of angst,
deep moments of joy, and sexual craziness.
It’s worth turning up the surround sound and singing along!
(Picture from Focus Films, Pirate Radio website.)
From the creators of Notting Hill and Love
Actually, and with a group of actors that includes Philip Seymore Hoffman, Emma
Thompson, Bill Nighy, Nike Frost, Rhys Ifans and Kenneth Branagh, how could the
writer and director go wrong? If you
love risky, edgy British humour full of innuendo, raucous behaviour, tea and occasional
wise words, then this little known film is for you. A final quote from one of the DJ Gavin, “The
thing that makes sense of this crazy world, is Rock ‘n Roll.”
One of the epic movies of the 1950's revealed this quote. When the character Marcus Vinicius (Robert Taylor) begins to fall in love with Lygia (Deborah Kerr), he does it by....well....here is the quote:
"I don't know about philosophy but a woman who looks that lovely should not have to think that deeply."
Really! Really? I was so astounded and laughed so hard that tears formed. So good but oh so bad!
